Commentary on the Politics, History and Culture of the Middle East and Central Asia, by Brian Ulrich

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Reasons for Pessimism

I wish I could get optimistic about Afghanistan, but it's really hard. Here two girls' schools have been forced to close after students were threatened and teachers attacked with rockets. Meanwhile, IWPR reports on how Afghans see the forthcoming elections as a ratification of Karzai much like those held in Egypt that re-elect Mubarak every few years. From the article, it sounds like other candidates will have trouble even getting on the ballot - $1000 is a lot of money for that part of the world.

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About Me

I am an Associate Professor in History at Shippensburg University, where I teach courses in Middle Eastern and world history. My two major research areas are the Middle East from the 7th through 10th centuries and the Persian Gulf from ancient times to the present. Nothing on this site represents an official position of Shippensburg University.